City of Angels … wuddup movie reference. I have been to LA three times to date and yes it is humungous. It’s the 2nd largest city in the United States. The reasons for my 3 trips were visiting my cousin, starting point of a railroad trip to SF and a weekend at DisneyLand. I will never be able to cover everything in the Hollywood city unless I live there and that is not an option. Personally speaking I have always considered LA to be a city full of junkies … not sure why but I do feel uneasy every time I go there. Having said that, LA is a global city and has a lot to offer. It has a diverse economy including in entertainment, culture, media, fashion, science, sports, technology, education, medicine and research.
How to get there:
- By Air: LAX … LA airport is one of the biggest hubs in the US not only for domestic flights but for international as well. One can easily find flights to LA throughout the day and rates are pretty reasonable.
- By Rail: LA is also host to one of the biggest railway hubs in the US. There is a small segment of people who like to travel by rail but fare warning it takes a lot of time. However, people who travel by train don’t travel to save time they travel to have an experience.
- By Road: Who doesn’t like a road trip? Whether you are traveling alone or with your spouse or friends or family or even with your dog. It will always be fun.
How to maneuvre around the city:
- Rental cars: Most preferred option because of a lot of freeways and it is convenient plus cheap.
- Uber: Taxis and Uber can also be nice alternative but since LA is so hug that it can be really expensive as well
- Public transportaion: You can opt for Metro/Light rails/Local trains/buses if you have plenty of time to spare and it is inexpensive.
- Shuttles: If you are at LAX airport and you want to spare some bucks then try to get a shuttle to the area you want to go. One has limited number of options with shuttles as it will go to a certain point like Van Nuys for north, Union Station for downtown et cetera. However, you can take Uber from the shuttle drop location to your final destination, which will be a lot cheaper.
Places to Stay:
- Hostels: Cheap options for backpackers but do your research for safety reasons.
- Airbnb: As always a better option.
- Downtown Hotels: I do recommend the Hilton Checkers but downtown LA is still a shady place. My concierge specifically suggested that I should stay within 2 blocks of radius after sunset.
- Disneyland: If you are going to DisneyLand then Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa is the place to be.
Things to do:
- Get a tattoo: Sure, why not. If you are into tattoos, then LA has some best tattoo artist in the world. But you need to have extra bucks and need to plan a lot to get an appointment from a decent artist as they tend to get booked for 10-11 months in the future.
- Universal Studios: DisneyLand for adults.
- DisneyLand: Basically for kids and a place to relive your childhood.
- Rail road by the coast: One of the most scenic and must do rail road trips of all in the US … LA to SF (one of the options). It covers that area of west coast which has not been covered by Highway one.
- Hollywood sign: “First let me take a selfie” … quintessential and must spot for a selfie with a nice cityscape, just around Griffith observatory.
- Coachella: THE music festival to attend.Well, technically it is in Palm desert ~150 miles from LA but hey if you are planning for it then you can certainly club LA and make a trip for a week.
- Beaches: LA beaches are different, as they are not known for being scenic but for the crowd and activities.
- Sunset Boulevard:Shopping and food.
- Hollywood walk of fame:Star studded pathway of Hollywood celebrities names.
- Hollywood Boulevard: Go see the famous TLC Chinese theatre.
- Rodeo Drive: Whether you are actually shopping or just window shopping, it is a shoppers paradise and get ready to shell out big bucks.
- Beverly Hills: Home to many Hollywood stars. Must try if you want to feel rich for 5 seconds and to see multi-million dollar mansions.
- Sunset at Malibu: Small beach city in LA county … known for its sunset.
- Behind the scene studio tours: Personally not interested in it but one can certainly try especially Paramount and Warner Brothers.
- Food: From hot dog vendors to food trucks to celebrity chefs … LA has something for everyone.
Did I miss something? What is your favourite thing to do in LA? Please let me know in comments.
